thinking about...

I'm always so aware that there are ups and downs throughout the day and throughout life. There are times when I can sense more energy around me, and times when there is less. Lately, I'm overwhelmed by all the energy around me. It's mostly stirred up by me. I've got a lot on my plate and I'm seeking some solid ground. Craving routine, easy peace and some quiet. It's going to be a while before I find it on a daily basis, but for now I'll continue to look for it any chance I get.

:: the dog at the farm is always so friendly and welcoming, just the kind of animal we love to see! ::

This week I'm thinking about:

...the website project I'm working on. There was supposed to be a small change that would affect almost nothing, but it ended up being a big change that affected so much. So, so much work has gone into this project, and I've seen far more midnights than I want to remember.

...homeschooling my girls. Public school has started up here (for the other kids) and the activities for my girls have started at full speed too. I've been rethinking what we're doing this fall and [I think] have decided upon: 4-H, gymnastics, swimming and art class. Dance and Girl Scouts aren't going to make the cut. We just have too much going on, between the evening activities for 'A' (once or twice a week, depending on the week) and evening meetings for me and Jeff (again, once or twice a week). There's no room for more. In addition to the scheduled activities, we do a number of other things that fall under the "schooling" umbrella, such as trips to art, science and history museums (we're going to the Schenectady Museum this week, Old Sturbridge Village next week, and the Hyde Collection the week after), trips to the farm to pick up our veggies and see the goats, penmanship practice, reading, math lessons, nature walks, and lots and lots of play time.

:: our vegetable share this week ::

...Erma, my ailing, aging cat. Her arthritis is so bad that she can hardly move. When she gets to the litter box (and she still does get there, thank goodness), she's too sore to bend and squat, so she ends up urinating all over, not just in the box. It's an issue for us because it means we are constantly cleaning up cat urine. She's already on a medication called Duralactin, which is a milk protein, and so far it's helped her to stay mobile. It's time for some more help. Acupuncture will ease her pain and increase her flexibility, but the price tag is out of our range. I looked up information on herbs for arthritis and learned that Devil's Claw and Spirulina are both good for it, then found that the Manataka American Indian Council sells supplements for cats containing both of those ingredients. I do hope we can help Erma find some relief from her pain. She's 17 years old and aside from the arthritis, she's in wonderful health. She deserves better.

...my garden. I've got tomatoes and peppers that are still ripening, basil that is begging to be made into pesto, lettuce mix that is sprouting, eggplant on the vine, nasturtium and marigold blooming everywhere, brussels sprouts that I hope to eat before the cabbage bug does, and herbs, plentiful herbs. All in all, it was a success this year.

:: 'A' and the dog ::

...natural healing. We've been self-medicating with herbs more and more. I recently found out that a tincture made of cornsilk will help stop bed-wetting in children. Since I have two bed-wetters, I thought, "why not?" I've been letting the tincture stew and it'll be ready in a few weeks. To make it, I put corn silk in a clean jar and cover it with vodka. Every day I shake it up, and in a month or so I should be able to strain the liquid and add little bit to a juice drink as medicine. Or if I want to make the alcohol evaporate first, I'll add it to some boiling water. Tinctures are one of the oldest ways of making medicine and yield shelf-stable products that we can use throughout the winter when our access to fresh herbs is cut off.

...volunteer work. I love to volunteer. A lot of us do. Funny how it works though - I love to volunteer when I have the time to do it. And lately, I don't have much time. Or energy. But still, the work is there.

...balance. What does it mean?

...waking up tomorrow morning to the sound of, "Mommy, are you awake?"... rolling my head to my right and finding Grace snuggled up next to my neck and shoulder... seeing my girls standing next to the bed, waiting for me to get up... and starting a new day, full of new possibilies.

0
comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe To

About Me

My name is Jillian. I started this blog as a way to experiment with my camera and it's a become a nice little spot where I enjoy spending time. I'm a mother to 6 and 4 year old daughters, wife to a cool computer guy, and mama to a cuddly cat. We enjoy eating local, organic food; managing several food allergies; homeschooling with love; spending time in nature; and we love to take time each day to be creative. You can also find me over at From Scratch Club from time to time. Welcome!